Happy Hour [OPEN]

[Deleted]

A wiry, alert man slipped into the bar from the back entrance, precisely three minutes before his shift was due to begin. He pulled off the fedora and leather jacket he'd been wearing—London was getting cold now—and pulled out a set of midnight blue robes. Not particularly his color, he preferred brighter greens and yellows, but that was the color he was required to wear behind the bar at the Fountain of Fair Fortune. The establishment was not half as popular as the Leaky Cauldron, but it still did more than enough business to turn a tidy profit for the owners. And while the Fountain's reputation was good, it was still frequented by less savory customers than the Cauldron. Too many Ministry ears at that bar, and the witch who owned the place knew practically every famous witch and wizard alive today on a first-name basis. So when people wanted to discuss things without the authorities finding out, for whatever reason, they came to the Fountain instead.

And that was precisely why Alexander Revan sought out a job here. Not that mixing drinks was beneath him—on the contrary, he rather enjoyed the challenge of getting them done right and quickly. But the important thing here was that he could get information on the underside of the wizarding world. And right now, that information was valuable. He knew all about the mass killing of the Ministry officials, and the two students killed at Hogwarts. He knew they were all muggleborns or half-bloods, which meant he knew this was another pureblood supremacy statement. And he knew that the girl on the train had been muggleborn and on her way to Hogwarts for the first time. Eleven years old and murdered before she even learned to cast a spell.

The thought disgusted him.

As annoying as it was, though, Alex had been unable to get even a whisper, not one piece of information on what was going on. But he could be patient. As long as he waited and avoided suspicion, he would eventually overhear something meaningful. And once he got a foot in the door, there was no closing it again. So he put on his robes and silently cast a Supersensory Charm on his ears, enhancing his hearing to make sure he could hear every conversation going on in the bar. Alex stepped out of the back, emerging behind the bar that ran nearly the full length of one wall of the building. He rubbed the top of his head with his hand, feeling the brutally short hair scratch against his palm, and rolled his shoulders, popping his upper back.

Another day, another dollar.

Or galleon, in this case.

[Deleted]

He made his way into Horizontal alley wearing his signature hat and his trench coat as he made his way past people. He moved past a few people and nodded slightly to them, careful to not attract attention to him more than could already do. He knew he was taking a risk being back in the country, where the Ministry of Magic was start the hunt once again for him, sooner or later the International Aurors would be on his case once again. His threat to reveal the secrets of the magical world to the muggle world had seemed to resonate with the Ministry very well, they were taking it seriously. As they should…the stuff I know would make kings cry thought Ezra with a little smirk on his face as he made his way to the pub in Horizon Alley. He had a meeting to pick up another job from a connection that was less than good. However; good or bad did not matter to Ezra they were all his targets as he saw. The current starting of a third wizarding war had dragged him back to the country, money was to be made in times of war. He walked into the pub and looked around at the people currently in, he was sure none of them were Aurors and if so, he didn’t mind leaving another one laying in a ditch.

He peered over to the Bartender and made a mental note of his face as he took a seat near the back of pub but, not in the very back. He waited by himself at the table for just a few minutes until someone else walked in a black cloak and took a seat across from him. The man spoke clearly to Ezra, and called him by his alias “Rosebud”, and stating so the rumors were true that he was finally back. He did not nod or even speak to the man just merely looked at him, if he was waiting for something. A piece of paper was slid from the man to Ezra and he picked it up and read it quickly. He gave a small and slow nod to the man who was covering his face. ”The French won’t be asking any more questions about what you are doing here…however as I said before I take no sides, in war or this pesky power struggle”whispered Ezra to the man across from him before sliding the paper right back to him. The job he was being offered, he was declining it, for it was taking a side in something for not enough money. ”Taking sides is the fastest way for one to die…and I believe you are trying to avoid that…tell your boss I require more payment” said Ezra he leaned in as he spoke, his words were almost like a threat to him. The man across from him got up in a rather sudden fit and walked out of the pub, his face showed slightly as he left, one of an angry and rather irritated Vincent Lore Stone. Ezra just looked out the pub, taking in who was currently in it, never knowing what he could stumble upon in pubs now a days he listened closely to the conversations around him. Reynolds should be careful many powerful people would want him gone, and they would pay well thought Ezra..

564 WORDS

@revan

No loyalty

THANK YOU MALIA TATE FROM ADOXOGRAPHY

[Deleted]

The usual rumors flowed in, punctuated by the occasional bit of factual information and more interesting theories. Ears picked up everything, and if it were anyone else, it would be too much to handle. But with his perfect memory, Alex could pick up five conversations at once and sift through them later. So he listened and watched as he poured and prepared drinks. He was paid well to work at the Fountain of Fair Fortune, because he was an expert in Potions and also knew how to mix drinks Muggle style. It let him put on a show of sorts. The Fountain was more of a bar than the Leaky Cauldron, emphasizing alcoholic drinks and offering a much wider variety. Alex was often called on to purchase Muggle liquors to stock the shelves with, and the Fountain offered a “muggle menu” of around a dozen or so drinks at a time, which rotated in and out based on season and popularity. Because Alex could do things like pour drinks perfectly from over his back, the Fountain paid him more than any other bartender, despite his part-time status. It let him completely cover his living expenses, while maintaining a presence in the Muggle world. Not to mention, he rather liked the job, and the ease of collecting gossip was another plus.

One conversation stood out to him, though. France was asking questions about someone’s activities here? Or…had been, at least. Out of the corner of his eye, he zeroed in on the conversation. Two men, clearly not wishing to be noticed. One of them—the one not in the cloak—was refusing to pick sides in a war. War. whoever it was understood the situation that developing, if he was calling it that already. And that likely meant they were well-informed. Interesting. The cloaked man was working for someone, and the old man wanted more money before he would agree to help. Finally, the cloak figure stood up and moved to the door. As he did, his hood slipped from his face for an instant—but that instant was all Alex needed. This man’s face had been in the Daily Prophet—Vincent Lore Stone, hired to teach Transfiguration at Hogwarts. Hired specifically by one man. Alex continued with his job, outwardly calm and disinterested in those around him as ever, showing no hint that he’d recognized or even looked at Stone as the man left. But his mind was racing. Why did Reynolds seem to pop up everywhere he looked? What was the Headmaster doing? He needed information before he could act. The only source remaining was the old man still in the bar, but Alex was in his civilian identity right now. He absolutely could not break cover for any reason. He needed an opportunity to see the man’s face. Once he had that, it was only a matter of time.

It took a few minutes, but finally, one of the patrons got rowdy. Alex nodded to the witch helping him tend the bar, leaving it to her while he threw the man out. “Come on then, you’ve had enough,” he said, spinning the man and marching him toward the door on stumbling, unsteady legs. No center of gravity. The force of a slight hand push would be enough. Alex and the man wobbled along, and as they passed by the old man’s table, Alex applied just enough force to make the patron stumble sideways out of his grasp and into the old man’s chair from behind. He quickly grabbed hold of the man by the shoulders once more, directing him out the door patiently, and then stepped back to allow more patrons to enter. Everything had to be done normally—he had waited for this opportunity because everything needed to look completely innocent. Just normal for a bar in the evenings, and normal for a bartender. Finally, when the group made it into the Fountain, Alex made his way back over to the table with the old man, looking straight at him. Bingo, he had the face. Alex bowed and offered an apologetic smile. “I’m very sorry about that, sir. I hope he didn’t harm you. May I offer you a free drink as an apology?”

[Deleted]

He was not here for pesky power struggles or to help aid one person over another. Even if they would pay well, he was not going to be anybody’s puppet and he knew that is what Reynolds wanted, a puppet to do the dirty work he couldn’t.Killing the Minister. The man offers that lowball amount. The Minister ….he is completely insane the thought played across Ezra’s mind his eyes kept moving around to see the people around him and what they were doing. He had been asked many times of course in the past to kill certain Ministers and world leaders, hell he had been approached to take out a few muggle world leaders. Such tasks were not easy at all, and he knew the Advanced Guard had been completely reformed since Kingsley had been killed. Reynolds always was a calm and more careful planner it seemed, such a job is a sign of desperation thought Ezra he slowly moved his gaze to the front of the pub. He kept looking at one of the bartenders who seemed to the best one on the job, but nothing seemed completely out of the ordinary for the man Ezra was looking at.

Being one of the most wanted men in the world was not a blessing in any way. Well in some ways it was, but others it was a curse. Always having to look out to see if the law was behind you or worse, a rival who wants your business. These situations he had encounters with over his years on the run, making him always more vigilant when he went out in public. However; strangely he had been able to move with great ease in the country, considering he had been gone forever the Ministry hadn’t kept advertising his picture, now it was starting to be placed in papers. The Daily Prophet seemed to make sure to make a point he was back. He noticed a patron behind him who had become too drunk and noticed the talented bartender had left his bar to escort the man out of the pub. Everything was normal then at once, he felt the drunk man fall into the back of his chair. His hand went down as he went to make sure the man was ok, and his other hand near his pant leg where he kept a knife for matters like these. Assassination attempts like this never work out thought Ezra he watched the as the bartender helped the man out and escorted him out. ”Good time tonight buddy I see” said Ezra with a laugh, brushing off like nothing happened.

His gazed turned around to people who barely looked over and paid attention to him, something which was good. He was glad that people were not suddenly fixed on him over what just happened, he did not need anyone’s undivided attention. Then like clockwork the bartender walked up to apologize for what happened, a normal thing for him to do. He offered him a drink, which he would not decline, it would cause attention. However; taking drinks at random was risky, good thing he carried certain antidotes on him or knew where to go in case something happened to him. When your me, you can never be too careful thought Ezra. Looking at the man he gave a slight smile ”No problem at all things happen, don’t they? Sure, can’t turn something free down” spoke Ezra adding a small chuckle. However; he had a problem now, it looked like the attention of a young talented bartender, let’s hope it wasn’t his complete undivided attention.

603 WORDS

@revan

SHORT NOTES

THANK YOU MALIA TATE FROM ADOXOGRAPHY